Number-plate support for vehicles.



' w. B. HUGHES. NUMBER PLATE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1910.

Patented Dec.6,1910.

fz o ing is a full, clear,

PATENT OFFICE.

WIL IAM B. HUGI-IE'S,-OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

NUlllIBER-PLATE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1-7, 1910. Serial No. 544,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. HUGHEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cu'yahoga and State of Ohio,-have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Number-Plate Supports'for Vehicles, of which the followand exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. r

This invention relates to supporting de vices or brackets such as are adapted for use with automobiles to support the number or license plates thereon.

The general objects oftlie invention are to provide a bracket or supporting device which, while comparatlvely inexpensive of production, possesses a wlde range of adaptability for use with such plates and vehicles,

whereby it may be applied to various styles of supports carried by the vehicles and will provide for an eifective illumination of the plates by the lamp.

A. further-object of the invention is to provide a device'of this kind which is extremely compact but eflicient in operation.

Further and generally speaking, the invention may also be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements embodied in the claims hereto annexed and illustrated in the drawings forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1' represents an elevation of my bracket, showing the lamp and number plate thereon; Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the bracket shown in the preceding figure; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the line 3-3 of Fi 2 and Fig. 4 a top plan view of the brac et, showing the application of the number or license plate applied thereto. Describing the invention by the use of reference characters, 1 denotes the bracket generally, the same comprising a base 2 provided at one end with a socket adapted to receive a plurality of supports and with a" socket for the license or number plate carrier, said base having at the end opposite said sockets apost for the reception of the lamp. The post is shownat 3 and is carried at the end of the curved or offset portion 4 of the base, which ofiisetportion' is provided 1 license plate.

for the purpose of enabling the lamp to illu= minate advantageously the number on the The post shown herein is nearly circular and is rovided with "a face 3, which faceis flat an lies in a plane forming an angle with the plane passin through the longitudinal axis of the num er plate socket. This construction of post i'sshown, described and claimed in my application #506,885 filed July 10th, 1909.

The end of the base opposite the post 3 is provided at its lower portion with a double socket, such as shown in the aforesaid a plication, said socket having an elongated slot 5 adapted to receive a Hat post and said socket being provided with a transverse enlargement 6 at its central portion adapted to receive a rounded post. The enlarged portion of the socket is providedwith a boss 7 which is internally threaded for the re- Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

ception of a set screw 7 which is adapted to carry at their upper ends a horizontal socket 9. The end of the horizontal socket which is adjacent to the post 3 is closed, as shown at 10, the wall 10 forming a stop for the inner end of a'rod 11. The socket 9 is provided with an internally threaded boss12 adapted to receive a set screw 13, by means of which therod 11 is held in place in said socket.

The side of the socket which is opposite-the boss 12 is provided-with an integral bracket plate 14, the face whereof to which the number plate is applied is directed away from said boss and'is substantially flush with the correspondingsurface ofth'e socket 9. The

arms 8, as will appear more particularly from Figs. 2 and 3, are angular and are each provided with a flattened face in the plane of that face of the plate 14 to which the number I plate is applied. By this construction, thesocket casting for the end or flange 8 o'f'the rod 11 constitutes a support for the number plate and the plate 14 and arms 8 provide a substantially vertical bearing for said plate.

The number plate is shown at 15 and is secured to the plate 14 by means of a short bolt 16 extendin through the plate 14 and through an e ongated slot 17 in said number plate. For the purpose of providing a particularlyv secure connection for the number plate and to prevent the tilting of the outer end of'the same, I provide a socket 18 which is mounted on the rod 11, being secured thereto by. means of a'sct screw 19, said socket having an integral plate 20, similar to plate '14 and havlng a bore for the reception of a short bolt 21 which-extends through an elongated slot 22 in the outer end of the plate similar to the slot 17. These slots provide for some adjustment, toward and from the lamp, of the plate along the rod 11 and socket 9.

By theconstruction illustrated and de-. scribed, a particularly compact, economical, and efiicient support is provided. The compactness is enhanced by making one of the number plate clamps as part of the upper socket w ich supports the inner end of the rod 11. The offsetting of the post 3 from the socket 9 and the inclination of the face 3 enable the lamp to be supported in such manner as to direct the light therefrom in a very efficient manner upon the plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a base havinga lampsupport at one end thereof and a vertical socket at the opposite end thereof, arms projecting upwardly from said socket and provided each with a flange, a horizontal socket carried by said arms and having a clamping plate provided with a face in substantially the same plane as the flanges of said arms, a

rod mounted'in the last-mentioned socket, a clamp carried by said rod, and a numberplate carried by said clamps and adapted to engage said flanges.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combinatipnof a base having a lampsupport, arms projecting upwardly from said base and having flanges, a horizontal socket carried by said arms and having a clamping plate provided with a face in sub-1 stantially the same plane as the flanges of said arms, a rod mounted in the last-mentioned socket, a'clamp carried by said rod, and a number-plate carried by said clamps and adapted to engage said flanges.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a base having a lamp support, and a rod support provided with a clamping projection, a rod carried by the latter support, a clamping, member mounted on said rod, a number plate, and means for securing said plate to said member and said pro ect1on.

i In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. HUGHES. Witnesses J. B. HULL, BRENNAN B. WEST. 

